Street letter-box.



E. L. PHIPPS.

STREET LETTER BOX.

APPLICATION rum) JULY 2, 1912.

Patented June 17, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co.. WASHINGTON. I)v c.

E. L. PHIPPS.

STREET LETTER BOX.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 2, 1912.

Patented June 17, 1913.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

Fig.2.

coLunnlA PLANOGRAPH UNITED'STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD L. PHIPPS, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T0 WILLIAMB. ANDERSON, OF PONTIAC, MICHIGAN.

STREET LETTER-BOX.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD L. PHIrrs, a citizen of the United States,resident of Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, havemade a certain new and useful Invention in Street Letter-Boxes; and Ideclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of thesame, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the invention, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference markedthereon, which form a part of this specification.

Figure 1 is a section on the line 11, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a rear view ofthe invention partly broken away. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33,Fig. 2.

The object of the invention is to provide a mail box in which thefacilities for depositing letters and for protectin the same whendeposited are designed to e of improved character.

In the accompanying drawings, the numeral 2 indicates a hollow post ordownward extension, which serves as the support of the mail box. Thissupport may be made of gas pipe and threaded near its lower end toengage a pavement casting 3, the lower end of the post being designed toextend down into the concrete or other foundation. Openings in the lowerportion of the post provide for the introduction of a lever or treadle1, which is pivoted in said post and is preferably weighted at its rearend. To this treadle is attached a wire or chain 5, which extends upwardthrough the post and is connected to the hinged cover 6 of the mail box,which is usually of rectangular form and made with a rounded top, in therear of which is provided a curved conduit 7 through which the wire orchain 5 extends, through the upper end of the supporting post. The frontportion or mouth of this conduit extends over and protects the rear orhinged edge of the cover, and guards an upward extending lug 8 thereof,to which the wire or chain connection 5 is attached. The rear and lowerportion of the conduit is flanged as at 9 for attachment to thesupporting post, in such wise as to cover and protect the same.

The rear edge of the cover or its hinge connection with the top isdesigned to be Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 2, 1912.

Patented Jun 0 17 1 91 3.

Serial No. 707,301.

provided with a stop lug 10, to limit the extent to which the cover canbe raised. And as a further protection the top of the box is providedwith an offset overhanging extension or guard portion 12 above theletter opening at 13 and projecting in front of the lower margin of saidopening. And the hinged cover is provided with a front flange 14,adapted to close down over this overhanging portion of the top and pastits front edge. If the cover should be removed this overhanging guardextending in front of the letter slot will protect it sufficiently toprevent the letters from being fished out of the box.

The treadle is weighted in rear so that it will always present its frontportion in raised position for operation, and it is designed tofacilitate materially the deposit of letters, especially in wet weather,or when the depositor has a large number of letters to mail.

In the lower portion of the box the walls are offset at 15, belowshoulders 16, to accommodate the pivotal edges 17 of the bottom sections18, the meeting edges of which lap closely, to prevent tampering. Tothese bottom sections are secured quadrant gears 19, which engage eachother and insure even movement of the sections in opening or closing.The gears are located in a wall pocket of the box, at right angles tosaid shoulders, and said wall pocket communicates with the interioroffset portions by bearings 20, through which extend the journals of thebottom sections. To one of these journals is secured a lever 21, wherebythe bottom sec tions are raised to closed position.

The carrier, in collecting the mail, unlocks and disengages the lever;the bottom sections then gravitate to vertical position below theshoulders 16 in such wise as to form sheer extensions of the upperportions of the walls, thereby obviating any tendency to catch or clogthe letters in their fall from the box.

The operation of the treadle serves to raise the cover sufliciently topermit letters to be passed under its front edge into the letter slot.The hands of the depositor are left entirely free for attention to themail matter, and when the letters are placed in the box and he releasesthe treadle, the cover will fall, closing the letter opening.

Having described the invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent 1s:

1. A mail box having a front letter slot, a hollow post for said box, aconduit extending upward from said post centrally of the top of saidbox, a cover for said slot having a rear hinge and a rear upwardextending lever arm located within said conduit, a pedal lever mountedupon said post, and a chain having connection with said lever arm andextending upward through said post and said conduit and havingconnection with the upper end of said arm.

2. A mail box having a front letter slot, a top extending over saidslot, a rear conduit attached to said top, a cover for said slot pivotedin rear and having a rear upward projecting arm located within saidconduit, a hollow post support connected to said conduit, a pedal levermounted upon said post support, and a chain engaging said pedal leverand said lever arm and extending through the top conduit and the postsupport.

3. A mail box comprising sides having arcuate upper edges, a frontterminating be low the top of said upper edges, a top wall having anoverhanging guard portion pro-- jecting over and separated from theupper edge of said front to leave a letter slot, said guard portionhaving downward projecting sides to close said slot at the sides, acover normally parallel to and resting upon said guard portion, saidcover having a downward projecting front end to normally close the frontof said slot, a hollow post support for said box, a conduit extendingupward from said post centrally over said box, said cover having a rearhinge and a rear upward extending lever arm located within said conduit,a pedal lever mounted upon said post, and a chain having connection withsaid lever and extending upward through said post and conduit and havingconnection with the upper end of said arm.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

' EDWVARD L. PHIPPS. Vitnesses:

R0131. F. GROVER, EDWARD JAooB HANSY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

